P01.05. An Integrative Medical Group Appointment Model to Reduce Stress and Poor Body Attitude and to Achieve Healthy Behavioral Changes in Patients With Cancer

Focus Areas: Integrative Approaches to Care, Supporting Behavioral Change Stress, poor body attitude, depression, inflammation, insulin resistance, obesity, sedentary lifestyles, and social isolation may all contribute to reduced survival in patients with cancer. In 2011, Sutter Medical Group launched a medical group appointment program for cancer patients in which patients meet with a physician (myself), a behaviorist, and a chaplain for 2 hours/week for 6 weeks to identify and address issues that may affect healing and survival. Topics covered include the impact of stress on the immune system, the importance of healthy nutrition and exercise to impede cancer cell growth and improve survival, and the role of spiritual approaches to assist with healing. Each session includes experiential exercises to help patients identify those practices that are most effective at helping them to reduce their experience of stress and anxiety. One of the weekly sessions is spent at our local food co-op with a professional chef to help patients begin to incorporate healing foods into their daily diet. Patients are encouraged to identify 2 goals for themselves at the beginning of the program and to work on behavioral change in those areas throughout the 6-week program. Mood scores, body attitude, and nutritional choices are identified at the beginning and at the end of the program with the intention of identifying the impact of this group model on these parameters.